SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/50965
in as the water pressure turns the turbine to move the gears. I mentioned before that we are on a very delicate irrigation regi- men. These fields have no drainage, and the reels, even at their fastest rates, will put out enough water to replace the ET on a 90 degree day, so it is impossible to throw a light syringe over the property to cool it down. The moisture level in the soil directly affects the horses' abil- ity to run, turn and stop. Too wet and the turf becomes too soft and sloppy, too dry and the turf becomes too firm and slippery. There is a 4-to-6 hour window of optimal playing conditions where the irrigation has dried enough to play on and before the fields are too dry and firm. Timing is everything and adjusting to weather conditions is extremely important. For spot treatment over such a large area the best option is to pull around above ground lines with pods that hold the irrigation heads upright. This allows us to keep the moisture levels adequate and even due to the inconsistencies of the fields. As if all that weren't difficult enough, we share our pump station with the HOA and cannot water at night due to pressure loss. The irrigation challenges are plentiful, but with a strong dedication to spot watering we have been able to keep a consistent playing surface and green grass throughout this season. These fields were not originally intended for professional polo. They had been aerated, but need more than a simple aera- tion twice a year. Compaction from polo requires increased cul- tivation. Using a verti-drain we were able to get down 8" on the 1st attempt, 11" on the 2nd and 15" on the 3rd. Adding 3 core aerations, 5 times slicing, 3 times verti-cutting for thatch re- moval, and adding over 2,000 tons of top-dressing sand, the turf and soil received a sigh of relief from 2 decades of compaction and thatch build up. These cultivation practices brought the sur- face firmness to an acceptable, and at a few times this season, an optimal level for polo play. The increased cultivation is a key factor in the level of im- provement that these fields experienced this year. Paying atten- tion to details that may have been overlooked before has created a more optimal growing environment for the turf. Adding prac- tices such as adjusting fertility based on soil tests, getting disease diagnosis from extension labs and the introduction of wetting agents have all contributed to a very successful product for our polo team to play on. My goal when I arrived here was to make our fields compara- ble with the world class facilities where the highest level of polo is played. I believe at times during this season, we have achieved that goal. With a little fine tuning, my goal now is to keep those conditions on a consistent level throughout the playing season. There will always be new methods to try, new innovations in our industry and more opportunities to learn from mistakes. Im- provement is always on the horizon, and perfection, although never obtainable at its true definition, is the only acceptable out- come for the future. ■ Dave Radueg is Polo Fields Manager at the J-5 Equestrian Cen- ter, Littleton, CO. www.stma.org SportsTurf 19